1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to solar measurement equipment, and in particular to measurement equipment capable of measuring solar access.
2. Related Art
With the advent of the modern industrialized society, there is a constant need for energy to power the growing energy consumption needs of the society. At present, fossil fuels are the main source of this energy but factors such as fossil fuel deposit scarcity, resultant pollution from burning fossil fuels, and geopolitical factors that affect the price and availability of fossil fuels have resulted in a need for alternative sources of energy. An example of a popular form of alternative energy source is solar energy.
In order to utilize solar energy, solar energy systems have been created and designed to harness received solar radiation into thermal or electrical energy through various means. These solar energy systems typically include a solar energy collector to collect the solar radiation and other components that convert the collected solar radiation into either electrical or thermal energy.
These solar energy systems need to be designed and installed in locations and orientations with the highest solar radiation exposure in order to maximize the amount of solar radiation that may be collected by the solar energy systems. As a result, there is a need to measure the solar radiation access at a given location and orientation.
There exist a number of known systems for measuring solar radiation. However, some of these systems are non-electronic devices that have limitations in their ease of use and accuracy because some utilize chemical processes of film exposure to store captured images that may not be analyzed until the film is developed, and most have alignment problems that make it difficult to make accurate measurements. The known electronic devices typically have limitations that include the lack of image calibration, the need to determine coordinates that uniquely identify the location of the device on the earth or region, the need to be left on-site for a long period of time, an inability to identify the skyline and open sky, and/or an inability to account for shading.
Therefore, there is a need for a new solar radiation measurement system that is capable of determining the solar radiation access at a given location and orientation without having the limitations associated with the existing known solar radiation measurement systems.